Statement
Of Purpose

We,
having dutifully served our nation, do hereby affirm our greater
responsibility to serve the cause of world peace. To this end we will
work, with others

(a)
Toward increasing public awareness of the costs of war
(b) To restrain our government from intervening, overtly and covertly,
in the internal affairs of other nations
(c) To end the arms race and to reduce and eventually eliminate nuclear
weapons(d) To
abolish war as an instrument of national policy.(e) To seek justice for veterans and
victims of war

To
achieve these goals, members of Veterans For Peace pledge to use
non-violent means and to maintain an organization that is both
democratic and open with the understanding that all members are trusted
to act in the best interests of the group for the larger purpose of
world peace.

Veteran Benefits Advocacy

Fridays 1000 -1400

G.I. Voice 203 4th Avenue East, Ste. 207 Olympia WA 98501

(New location: in the Securities Building in Olympia)

Call (360) 943-5975 for appointment

Accredited independent VA Claims Agents provide free VA benefits
counseling for active duty personnel and veterans so they can file claims for the
veterans with the VA. Mark Fleming and Dennis Mills are Accredited Independent VA Claims
Agents who will help file appeals, present oral arguments in person at
the VA Regional Office with the veteran. In the event the case is denied at
the local level, Mark and Dennis will prepare for continuing appeals at the DC level, at
the VA board of Veterans Appeals and, if necessary, file an appeal with the
U. S. Court of Appeals for Veterans (three steps down from the Supreme
Court).

VFP109, the Rachel Corrie Chapter in Olympia WA, produced a short PSA to alert active duty and veterans about their VA benefits. Every Friday, Dennis Mills and Mark Fleming provide counseling at GI Voice in Olympia, WA. They also provide assistance at SideWalk Veterans Assistance Program in Olympia on Thursdays. We want to encourage other VFP chapters to have independent accredited VA Claims Agents assist the growing numbers of those seeking help. VFP109 appreciates having a local access TV station, TCTV, where we can produce monthly programs.

"The Veterans Hour" on Channel 22 TCTV (Thurston County)

Monday, 5:00 pm
Thursday, 8:00 pm
Saturday, 2:00 pm

Veteran Benefits Advocacy Training The goal is to train students how to pass the test for the
title of Independent Agent in order to receive accreditation from the
U. S. Department of Veterans Affairs.This title would enable the person certified to file claims for the
veterans with the VA and file appeals, present oral arguments in person at
the VA Regional Office with the veteran. In the event the case is denied at
the local level, learn to prepare for continuing appeals at the DC level, at
the VA board of Veterans Appeals and if necessary, file an appeal with the
U. S. Court of Appeals for Veterans (three steps down from the Supreme
Court).

Don’t say “Thank You For Your Service”: That Continues My Oppression Army veterans: Dennis W. Mills, Mark Fleming and Zahid Chaudhry, lead a discussion on how today’s service members and veterans have been structurally oppressed even before they enlisted and continue beyond in their civilian lives. War, moral injury, PTSD, sexual oppression, poverty draft, homelessness, unemployment, and militarism are the oppressors.

GI Voice aka Coffee Strong is now just GI Voiceand has moved to 203 4th Avenue East, Ste. 207 Olympia, WA 98501.(360) 943-5943 Watch the video produced by VFP109 Media that explains their purposes in the move and reverting back to the original name of GI Voice

VetsRising/One Billion & Rising - Olympia WA On February 14th @ 11:30 AM in Olympia, WA Elizabeth Bissett, an Air Force veteran and friends danced to “break the chain” of violence against women. The aim of this flash dance was to bring out of the shadows, women and men, victims of rape, sexual assault, harassment, and domestic violence, while serving in our armed forces. The event took place in the Rotunda of the Washington State Capital.

JeJu Island Peace Delegation Larry Kerschner, VFP109 member and Vietnam veteran, shares his experiences of demonstrating against the U.S. buildup/occupation of JeJu Island, South Korea. He was part of the JeJu Island Peace Delegation.

VFP109
RCC Discussion Forum
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you get there.

Free
Psychological Counseling for Military Service Members and
their Families -
(206) 290-1035
We are a group of licensed mental health professionals who
offer free psychological treatment to military service
members (active duty, National Guard, Reserves and veterans)
who have served or who expect to serve in OEF and/or OIF. We
also provide treatment to members of their families and
other loved ones. Treatment is conducted in our private
offices. Our services are entirely confidential and do not
report to either the DOD or to the VA.
The Soldiers Project NW provides counseling for individuals,
couple and families as well as group therapy. They are not
affiliated with any governmental agency and offer the
flexibility and confidentiality available in private
clinical practice. Email:
soldiersprojectnw@yahoo.com As clinicians in
private practice, they provide alternative treatment options
outside of the military system. Soldiers Project NW is able
to respond to any request for help within 24 hours.

Soldiers Project NW(Video) Randi Jensen and
Dorothy Melcer, volunteer mental health therapists with
Soldiers Project NW share their life-saving work. They
represent a group of licensed mental health professionals
who offer free psychological treatment to military service
members (active duty, National Guard, Reserves and veterans)
who have served or who expect to serve in the conflicts in
Iraq or Afghanistan.

Soldier Say No!
is dedicated to those Soldiers, Marines, Sailors and
Airpersons who refuse to fight in illegal wars or to commit
war crimes.

Courage
to Resist The efforts of Courage to
Resist are primarily focused on supporting public GI
resisters

www.ourjourneytosmile.com
There are a handful of children in Afghanistan who are
challenging us to think a new way. They live amidst
generations of war. They have lost their families to
violence. Their daily lives are filled with the reality of
greed, bribery, and dishonesty and still they are deciding
to live their young lives with with a smile for the world
and peace and compassion in their hearts. Check out their
website. Check out their message. And then ask of yourself
and others, what can you do to stand in solidarity with 13
year old children who dare to ask for THE RECONCILIATION OF
CIVIL HEARTS ~ Terry Zander

Breaking News

A Tribute to Ken Schwilk For many years, Ken Schwilk, was a camera operator for the VFP109 Media Team. Recently, he passed away from cancer due to his exposure to Agent Orange in Vietnam. The program begins with a “Missing Cameraman” tribute including a musical piece honoring Ken by Vaude deVille. (Vaude has since passed!)

Homefront 911: Military Family MonologuesHost Marvin Simmons of Northwest Veterans for Peace spoke with Stacy Bannerman, creator and producer of "Homefront 911: Military Family Monologues," a project of the Sanctuary for Veterans and Families. Also on the program are Tamara Rosenleaf, who wrote two of the monologues, and Belle Landau of the Returning Veterans Project. This program features moving readings of the military family monologues. (KBOO - Portland OR)

Events
Calendar

Veteran
Benefits Counseling
Fridays 10-2 pm at G.I. Voice 203 4th Avenue East, Ste. 207 Olympia WA 98501. Active duty and veterans
are encouraged to drop in and learn what VA benefits to
which they may be entitled .Fridays 10-2pm Veteran Advocate
TrainingThe goal
is to train students how to pass the test for the title of
Independent Agent
in order to receive accreditation from the U. S. Department
of Veterans Affairs. Contact Mark Fleming
rezdog02@hotmailcom
or Dennis Millsmills.dennis@gmail.com for details.2015 Schedule for Veterans Hour on TCTV
(Channel 22 in Olympia)
Monday 5 pm, Thursday
8 pm, and Saturday 2 pm.Helping our allies to the north, Contributors to VETS_CAFE Kickstarter will receive seedballs, and higher levels of support will get you a CD with veteran interviews, class highlights and digital copies of the site designs we develop.
VETS_CAFE: A Permaculture Design Project http://www.kickstarter.com/ projects/694901181/ vets-cafe-a-permaculture-design -project?ref=live

Critical
Concern was
created to express other viewpoints to ponder. You are
encouraged to submit articles or links.

Friendly Water for the World seeks to increase environmental and community sustainability by helping communities help themselves. Our focus is on building local capacity through training and helping to start local micro-business or community-led distribution strategies. Biosand water filter projects are currently in Afghanistan, India, Kenya, Ethiopia, Democratice Republic Congo, India, Honduras, Zimbabwe, and Burundi.

The National
Veterans Foundation has opened a toll-free helpline
(1-888-777-4443) for Troops, Veterans and their
families. All calls are answered live by trained veterans, who listen,
provide crisis intervention services, emotional support and
information, or immediate referrals to local providers who can help.
The NVF Helpline has already served more than 275,000 people in need.

"As I see it, our
mission remains un-changed – to establish ourselves as the
credible source of information and first-hand experience of
the real costs and causes of war – and to use that
information to convince the public of its own desperate need to change
the course of America away from militarism and military domination of
the planet."-- Woody Powell,
former VFP
Executive Director

The Vietnam Friendship Village Project is a residence for children and elderly people suffering from the impact of Agent Orange. Built on a former rice paddy near Hanoi , the Friendship Village is a living symbol of peace and reconciliation, an amazing example of former enemies working together for a common compassionate cause. Currently, six countries are involved in this international project. Dan Ryan, a member of the US Committee, is available to present informative documentaries and discussion on this project. He can be reached at 360-352-3293 or peaceguy02@yahoo.com

Each
new death of a soldier or a civilian, each
child who loses a parent to the carnage, each healthy body that is
broken or burned in this war
that didn't have to happen, is a reminder
of how horribly wrong he [Bush] was. --
Bob Herbert, NY Times